Mikhail Tolmachev: Artist in residence

Mikhail Tolmachev (b. 1983, Moscow) is an artist and researcher based in Leipzig. His interdisciplinary work focuses on the relationship between memory, photography, and history. Through installations, video essays, and printed matter, he combines artistic and theoretical methods to explore questions about the fragility of historical narratives and how memory is constructed.

In an ongoing project, part of the PhD-in-Practice programme at the Bauhaus-Universität in Weimar, Tolmachev delves into a fragmented photo archive from one of the Soviet Union’s first labor camps. During his residency at Kin, he will work on a piece that is part of Kin’s multi-year project Borg Mesch: A Photographer in Sápmi during the Colonial Period.

Artists in residence 2026

In 2026, artists Bernd Krauß, Mikhail Tolmachev, Rehaf Al Batniji, Simon Ferner, Eleonora Edreva, and Oyjon Khayrullaeva will spend time in Kiruna and Norrbotten conducting research, producing work, and collaborating on upcoming exhibitions and projects at Kin.

Bernd Krauß is developing his solo exhibition at the Art Workshop and will also lead the art camp during the winter break. Mikhail Tolmachev is continuing his work on the multi-year project Borg Mesch: A Photographer in Sápmi during the Colonial Period and is participating in the exhibition The Use of Photography: Borg Mesch, Hans-Olof Utsi. Rehaf Al Batniji is preparing to participate in a group exhibition and conducting new research during his stay.

Simon Ferner is continuing his long-term work on mining history and the interlinked stories of LKAB in Kiruna, Grängesberg, and LAMCO in Liberia. Eleonora Edreva and Oyjon Khayrullaeva are focusing on local craft and knowledge traditions, with a particular interest in plant dyeing, health, and folk medicine, as part of their contributions to upcoming group exhibitions.

Read more about all the artists in residence at Kin 2026 here.